Apple Sets to Debut AI Features in China by May 2025

Apple is accelerating efforts to launch its Intelligence features in China by mid-2025, with a potential rollout as early as May.

Navigating regulatory complexities, the company has formed dedicated teams in the US and China to address engineering challenges and ensure compliance, signalling its commitment to bringing advanced AI capabilities to the Chinese market.

Tough Road Ahead for Apple

Apple’s push to launch Intelligence features in China by mid-2025 faces not only technical challenges but also significant regulatory hurdles.

With sales in China—its largest market outside the US—declining sharply amidst competition from local brands leveraging AI, Apple’s success in the region hinges on getting this rollout right.

To navigate these challenges, Apple is relying heavily on local partners, an uncommon move for the company.

Alibaba is developing an on-device system to adapt and filter Apple’s AI models for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users in China, ensuring compliance with government regulations.

Baidu will support additional AI features, serving as a secondary partner.

Unlike its US counterpart, Apple’s Chinese AI platform must account for stringent local requirements, preventing a direct transfer of existing AI capabilities.

In the US, Apple Intelligence spans on-device features, cloud-based functions powered by Apple servers, and OpenAI’s chatbot integration—elements that must be carefully tailored for the Chinese market.

How Alibaba and Baidu Plays a Part

Apple’s rollout of Intelligence features in China will mirror its US approach with on-device AI models, but Alibaba’s software will serve as an intermediary layer to filter content deemed objectionable by the government—without user awareness.

Chinese authorities can instruct Alibaba to request AI model adjustments from Apple, and outdated models on user devices will trigger temporary AI feature suspensions until compliant updates are installed.

While Apple devices globally already receive seamless AI updates, China’s system will require more frequent and rapid modifications, limited to devices sold within the country.

Internationally purchased Apple devices brought to China will not utilise the local AI system.

For complex AI tasks like extensive text processing, Apple relies on its Private Cloud Compute—secure servers powered by Apple’s Mac chips.

In China, Apple will likely need a local partner for this infrastructure, similar to its arrangement with state-affiliated GCBD for iCloud operations.

Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai confirmed his company’s involvement, alongside other Chinese partners, in Apple’s AI project.

He said during a conference:

“Apple has been very selective. They want to use our AI to power their phones.”

Baidu, often dubbed the “Google of China,” will manage features such as Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 16, enabling real-time object recognition and web-based information retrieval.

In the US, Google and OpenAI power similar AI functions, including Siri’s responses and writing tools, which operate through external servers rather than on-device

Apple’s collaboration with Baidu extends beyond AI, with Baidu already serving as the default search engine for Safari in China—an alliance Tim Cook expressed interest in deepening as early as 2014.

Alibaba has also partnered with Apple on iPhone promotions through its extensive e-commerce network.

However, Tsai’s public acknowledgment of the AI partnership is notable, as Apple has previously severed ties with companies, such as Hyundai and Goertek, for prematurely disclosing collaborations.

Apple’s next Intelligence update, iOS 18.4, is slated for April and will introduce support for additional languages, including Chinese—though this language expansion is distinct from launching a fully localised AI platform in China.